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The Argonauts
In Greek mythology, the Argonauts (Greek: Ἀργοναῦται, Argonautai) were a band of heroes who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the golden fleece. Mythology After the death of King Cretheus, Pelias usurped the Iolcan throne from his half-brother Aeson and became king of Iolcus in Thessaly. Because of this unlawful act, an oracle warned him that a descendant of Aeolus would seek revenge. Pelias put to death every prominent descendant of Aeolus he could, but spared Aeson because of the pleas of their mother Tyro. Instead, Pelias kept Aeson prisoner and forced him to renounce his inheritance. Aeson married Alcimede, who bore him a son named Jason. Pelias intended to kill the baby at once, but Alcimede summoned her kinswomen to weep over him as if he were stillborn. She faked a burial and smuggled the baby to Mount Pelion. He was raised by the centaur Chiron, the trainer of heroes. When Jason was twenty years old, an oracle ordered him to dress as a Magnesian and head to the Iolcan court. While traveling, Jason lost his sandal crossing the muddy Anavros river while helping Hera in the guise of an old woman. The goddess was angry with King Pelias for killing his stepmother Sidero after she had sought refuse in Hera's temple. Another oracle warned Pelias to be on his guard against a name with one shoe. Pelias was presiding over a sacrifice to Poseidon with several neighboring kings in attendance. Among the crowd stood a tall youth in leopard skin with only one sandal. Pelias recognized that Jason was his nephew. He could not kill him because prominent kings of the Aeolian family were present. Instead, he asked Jason what he would do if one of his fellow citizens was destined to kill him. Jason replied that he would send him to fetch the golden fleece, not knowing that Hera had put the words in his mouth. Jason learned later that Pelias was being haunted by the ghost of Phrixus. Phrixus had fled from Orchomenus riding on a divine ram to avoid being sacrificed and took refuge in Colchis, where he was later denied proper burial. According to an oracle, Iolcus would never prosper until his ghost was taken back in a ship, together with the golden ram's fleece. This fleece now hung from a tree in the grove of the Colchian Ares, guarded night and day by a dragon that never slept. Pelias swore before Zeus that he would give up the throne at Jason's return while expecting that Jason's attempt to steal the golden fleece would be a fatal enterprise. However, Hera acted in Jason's favour during the perilous journey. The Argonauts *Acastus *Actor *Admetus *Aethalides *Ampharaus *Amphidamas *Amphion *Ancaeus *Ancaeus *Areius *Argus *Argus *Argus *Ascalaphus *Asclepius *Asterion *Asterius *Atalanta *Augeas *Autolycus *Butes *Calais *Caeneus *Canthus *Castor *Cepheus *Clymenus *Clytius *Coronus *Deucalion *Echion *Eneus *Eribotes *Erginus *Erytus *Euphemus *Euryalus *Eurydamas *Eurymedon *Eurytion *Eurytus *Heracles *Hippalcimus *Hylas *Ialmenus *Idas *Idmon *Iolaus *Iphiclus *Iphiclus *Iphis *Iphitos *Iphitos *Jason *Laertes *Laocoon *Leitus *Leodocus *Lynceus *Meleager *Menoetius *Mopsus *Nauplius *Neleus *Nestor *Oileus *Orpheus *Palaemon *Palaimonius *Peleus *Peneleos *Periclymenus *Phalerus *Phanus *Philoctetes *Phlias *Phocus *Poeas *Polydeuces *Polyphemus *Priasus *Staphylus *Talaus *Telamon *Theseus *Tiphys *Tydeus *Zetes Category:Greek mythology Category:Greek mortals